Tag: speaker on suicide

I have known Denise since the days I did digital marketing for Diamonds by Lauren of NY. Denise handled customer service. I posted I would be in Huntsville, AL and Denise lives near there and came to meet me and hear me speak. It was so exciting meeting her in person. And I had noticed an uptick of Alabama visitors and I’m sure it has to do with Denise!

I have been advocating for mental health, specifically youth mental health, since 2010. While my son Charles was still alive, not yet diagnosed with depression and I didn’t know he was suffering from thoughts of suicide, the system was so frustrating, I joined the board for Beacon Tree Foundation to see if I could advocate for change. That was the first time I met people who felt just as frustrated as I was.

Check out her shirt and my skirt! It’s like we shared a memo but we didn’t. I so enjoyed presenting to Partners in Parenting. This group is one of the referring partners for Beacon Tree and i love what they are doing, focusing on the whole family.

Richmond has a trauma informed care network (TICN) for which I am a member. I presented to this group on suicide and mental illness and how my family was treated in Virginia. I did talk a lot about the fact that we never got a diagnosis in this state, even when I begged for one.

Maybe this isn’t surprising when you consider Virginia ranks forty nine for services related to major depression. Lack of a diagnosis didn’t seem to stop anyone from prescribing medication. The methodology is “throw it at the wall and see if it sticks.” If you are … Read more... “Why is a psychological evaluation important?”